This season, the Boston Bruins will look to improve on their 2023-24 campaign, which saw them return to the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season, but for the first time since 2021, they made it to the second round. Unfortunately, they were bounced in the second round by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
Related: 3 Bruins Questions That Must Be Answered in Training Camp & Preseason
Instead of talking about what needs to be achieved in the 2024-25 season, here’s a look at what most likely will be achieved in the regular season and some milestones to look out for. This list is based on the contingency that the players are healthy and will not be starting the season on injured reserve.
#4 – Nikita Zadorov Hits the 700-Game Mark, 100 Career Assists
While the Bruins will rely on a season from Nikita Zadorov similar to his last three, Zadorov is close to reaching some important milestones. He is 38 games away from playing in his 700th NHL game and is one assist away from 100 in his career. Checking off the assist box could easily be done on opening night. The games played will depend on health more than anything.
In the past two seasons, Zadorov has averaged 77 games with a career-high of 82 set in the 2022-23 season. If that continues this season, he is projected to hit the games played milestone with ease. If he doesn’t sit for a game for any reason, he is projected to hit the mark on Jan. 28, 2025, at home against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
#3 – Hampus Lindholm Passes Mike Milbury for 17th Place on All-Time Games Played List
This season, Boston will be looking for a healthy campaign from Hampus Lindholm – not that he was injury-prone in 2023-24. Granted, Lindholm only missed nine games when he was week-to-week last season, but they were crucial games down the stretch.
He sits at 745 games played in his career and is looking to pass Mike Milbury for sole possession of 17th on the Bruins’ games played list. Milbury played 754 in his career, so Lindholm only needs 10 games to reach that mark.
If all goes to plan, Lindholm should be able to pass Milbury by the end of the first month of the season, specifically by Oct. 29, 2024, when Boston takes on the Philadelphia Flyers at home.
#2 – Pavel Zacha Reaches the 600-Game Mark, 300 Career Points
When the Bruins first acquired Pavel Zacha, fans were unsure what to make of him. Since then, he has put together two consecutive seasons of 21 goals and two seasons with more than 55 points. Going into the 2024-25 season, Zacha is 34 games short of playing in his 600th NHL game and five short of his 300th career point.
The points are attainable, and Zacha should be able to reach this milestone in the first month, let alone the first week of the season. Games played, on the other hand, aren’t necessarily an impossible achievement but will depend on health. Zacha has not had any health issues since coming to Boston, and if all goes to plan, he is projected to hit that mark on Dec. 19, 2024, on the road when the Bruins visit the Edmonton Oilers.
#1 – Charlie McAvoy Hits the 500-Game Mark, 300 Career Points
Going into the season, Charlie McAvoy has played 454 NHL games and sits just 46 games away from reaching the 500-game mark. As one of the more offensive-minded defensemen in the game, McAvoy is also closing in on 300 NHL points and currently sits at 277 entering the season. He is poised to hit them both at some point this season.
Barring any injuries or setbacks, he is projected to hit the mark on Jan. 14, 2025, when Boston takes on the Tampa Bay Lightning at home. He could hit both milestones at or around the same time, but presumably, if he is healthy, the Bruins will likely choose to have McAvoy hit the games milestone at home.
Honorable Mentions: Morgan Geekie & Trent Frederic
Morgan Geekie and Trent Frederic are also poised to hit the 300-game mark and the 50-goal mark in the 2024-25 season. For Frederic, both milestones could come a bit earlier in the season, as he is just 20 games away from the 300-game mark and three goals from the 50-goal mark.
Geekie, however, has a little bit further to go to hit these numbers, but after playing a career-high 76 games in the 2023-24 season, he should be able to pull it off. Geekie is 44 games away from 300 games and 11 goals from 50. Both look attainable, considering the career-high 17 goals and 22 assists he put up a season ago.
Only the Beginning of Bruins’ Milestones to Watch
While these are some milestones to watch this season, they do not represent all the storylines. This is just the beginning of a season full of records that could be matched or even surpassed by some players.
